Page 8 - JANUARY 26 , 2017 - martensville messenger
This spring , a new cohort of University of Saskatchewan graduates will cross the stage at convocation with a diverse set of employable skills .
Connecting new grads to their future careers involves more than handing them their parchment , however .
Those with a job already lined up when they receive their degrees will have taken advantage of the university ’ s career planning and skills training resources , and many will be graduating with on-the-job experience built in to their program .
Helping students to find a return on investment for their education is a focus at the university ’ s Student Employment and Career Centre ( SECC ). For manager John Ault , ensuring students are exposed to career planning and readiness at the right steps
Weaving Careers into Curriculum
along the way is critical to this goal .
“ Careers are just one part of the student life cycle ,” he said . “ They ’ re balancing many priorities and our programming has to be flexible to meet different needs .”
While Ault and his team e n c o u r a g e students to engage early and often with the SECC and other campus supports , they recognize that students aren ’ t always quick to set aside time to come in to the office .
Ault and his team work with colleges to embed career readiness pieces into the curriculum , as well as connect students to employers that offer internships and co-ops .
AnneMarie Dewar , a chemical
“ Careers are just one part of the student life cycle ,”
2016 was a big year at the University of Saskatchewan and we ’ re excited to see what 2017 will bring .
From the opening of the Gordon Oakes Red Bear Student Centre to the awarding of the largest federal research grant in U of S history , the amazing things that happened at the U of S will have far-reaching and long-lasting benefits for people close to home and around the world .
We are proud to be the University of Saskatchewan and to play a key role in the success of our great province .
Connect with us at usask . ca / communityreport
COMMUNITY REPORT
engineering student in her final year took part in the Engineering Professional Internship Program ( EPIP ) last year .
Dewar says the internship helped solidify her decision to work in the oil and gas i n d u s t r y .
The twelvem o n t h internship , which she a p p l i e d for through the SECC , was an eye-opening experience and provided the chance to work with other departments in her industry . “ I applied for every internship that was available ,” she laughed . “ Reading the job descriptions ? They were all foreign to me . But working in the job I had , I found different things I liked and I ’ ve applied for jobs in a couple areas .”
Though the EPIP added a year to her degree , Dewar ’ s work as an intern counts towards her professional designation .
“ In the end , you ’ re in the exact same spot as someone who graduated and then got a year of experience . It ’ s just nice that you ’ re considered a full-time student when you ’ re doing it ,” she explained .
Of the service she received at the SECC when applying for the EPIP and now that she is looking for her first job as an engineer-in-training , Dewar says , “ students don ’ t always recognize how helpful it is until they ’ re pushed to go . Take the advantage .”
Photo courtesy of the University of Saskatchewan
University Senate connects the U of S to the province ’ s communities
The histories of the province of Saskatchewan and the University of Saskatchewan ( U of S ) have been and always will be strongly connected . The university was established in 1907 , only one year after Saskatchewan became a province .
University Senate plays a critical role in connecting the university to the public by providing a window on the activities and goals of the university , and also making the university aware of the needs of the larger community .
“ I ’ m always so in awe at the level of engagement from all the participants ,” said Corinna Stevenson , an elected member of senate for District 9 , which includes Nipawin , Melfort and Hudson Bay . “ It is a large group , and we get to not only understand university affairs better but also the perspectives of their stakeholders .”
Senate is a governing body made up of stakeholders of the U of S including students , past and current chancellors , the university president , vice-presidents , deans and elected members of our alumni representing areas across Saskatchewan and around the world . It also includes representatives of organizations with a connection to the university
such as professional governing bodies , and the minister and deputy minister of advanced education . A range of issues are discussed and addressed through the variety of perspectives that come together to compose senate .
“ For my people , the Dene and northern people , you have to be a part of senate or executive and those kinds of things in order to influence any change and inclusions ,” said Allan Adam , the elected member for District 10 , which covers northeast Saskatchewan and includes communities such as Stony Rapids and Sandy Bay . “ That ’ s one of my interests , to make sure our voice is heard from the North as well .”
Jim Pulfer , the elected representative for District 13 , covering the city of Saskatoon , feels alumni in his community are quite happy with how things are going .
“ But like all things in a democracy , if you become complacent and no one is taking an active part — bringing good ideas and discussing them between each other — then we miss out on a real opportunity to be the cradle of new policy ,” he said . “ That ’ s where I see senate playing a vital role , in that type of disclosure .”
Senate meets twice a year and the meetings are open to the public . The next meeting is scheduled for April 22 .
There are 28 elected alumni on senate — one senator from each of the 14 districts across the province , and 14 members-at-large who may reside anywhere . Nominations for five members-at-large are currently open and run until March 1 , 2017 . To learn more , or to submit a nomination , visit usask . ca / senate-election .
Students in the Bowl on the University of Saskatchewan campus .